Enterprising Kids

I brought a glass for $0.50 from a lemonade stand run by kids in my apartment complex. I had always read about kids doing this in the summer but unfortunately had never seen any (maybe I have never really lived in the American suburbia). It was refreshing not only to drink the cool lemonade on a hot day but also to see kids do something enterprising. Of course, the fact that it keeps them away from mischief for some hours and lets them feel good about earning some pocket money is good enough for some parents. They were a group of about 6-7 kids, two of them sardar kids (I dunno why am I mentioning that little detail) and chances are that individually they might earn only about couple of dollars at the end of the day for selling some stuff that probably their mom made didn’t deter them from hawking their stuff. Heck, people who otherwise wouldn’t buy street side fare actually stopped and bought a glass of lemonade.

It is an important lesson in business instilled early on in life. Unfortunately this kind of behavior which will only instill the value of money in children is looked down upon in India. You cannot work at the local McDonalds’ or Barista without attracting pitiful looks from your neighbors. Loose gossip is enough to make your parent force you to leave such a job. I wonder why earning money through perfect honest means is looked down upon in Indian society. Imagine how simple it would be to keep kids busy by letting them peddle Rasna on a hot summer afternoon, right on a Bombay street. Heck, the local nimbupani-wallah might raise a ruckus but that in itself is a lesson in free competition. I remember, we as kids once offered to clear the raddi (old newspapers) from our friend’s homes in exchange to keep the money. Some parents wouldn’t hear of it; instead they offered to give us money for whatever we wanted to do. They only wanted to know where we wanted to spend the money. The lack of trust was never so obvious. In an erstwhile socialist India, earning money was always looked down upon. However, in today’s changing times and the influx of lowtech outsourced jobs, college kids have access to money they can earn through an honest day’s (errr; .night’s?) work. Now only if we can translate that ethic to kids a little early on in life, it would be great. Is that wishful thinking?

Update: Sqrl/NT reminds us that such enterprising kids can be found in India too. Great!

“Enterprising Kids” [Short URL: http://www.ipatrix.com/?p=782] was published Tuesday, June 21st, 2005 at 5:00 pm by Patrix, filed under Business, Society Culture. Both comments and linkbacks are closed.

« Living Billboard

Penny for your Thoughts »

http://lemongrass.blogdrive.com Parna
I don’t think thats wishful thinking. The place where i come from is not one The Leading Metros and often people from bombay or delhi don’t think much of calcutta, but i think the concept of part-time job has really caught up with kids these days even there, specially with many parents trying to instill a sense of “value” of money.
But personally when i was in college, i worked the summers in a designer shop, and even that was quite looked down upon by my friends. I naturally felt no such thing, since i felt i had more than earned my branded clothes.
And further still in school i used to make cards much like the Archies, complete with coloured/designed envelopes (hallmark had not arrived then), but That was so no-no to sell among friends. Some though really appreciated it.
http://wrik.blogspot.com Som
Surprising to find the point I wanted to mention already in the comment above!
I haven’t been to McDonalds or Subways in India, but when I went to Kolkata this month, I was surprised to find young people managing showrooms at all the shopping malls etc. Even the boys at the ticket counter in the movie theatre in forum appeared to be college students. And people were not actually looking down on all these boys and girls. The experience was definitely refreshing.
http://chocolateandgoldcoins.blogspot.com/ Michael H.
Hi Patrix
Your lemonade story reminded me of my summer of trying to make some cash as a child (maybe 10) shining shoes door to door. I discovered the hard way that vanilla shoe polish was not the same as white shoe polish. I still remember the lady’s anguished cries: “You ruined my shoes.”
Of course, that’s what comes of trusting your nice shoes to a 10 year old.
http://alpha.blogdrive.com alpha
Good point, but try getting an urchin polish your shoes or buy stranded jasmine flowers in Mumbai with the same gusto you show here with the lemonade kids.
There are much more people in India and for them it’s livelihood and not pocket money. Such work is assosciated with poverty. You work in Pizza Hut and you take away their job. Your parents don’t mind giving you that kinda money and you can spend that time enjoying the joys of childhood. Our culture is different.
http://ipatrix.com Patrix
Alpha, I didn’t expect the our culture is different argument. I was talking about respect for money and inculcation of an enterprising spirit in children. Of course, my Rasna idea might not fly but as Parna and Som mention, attitudes are changing. This also reminds me of a family friend who offered chocolate-box wrapping services during Diwali; a business she ran from home. She was a big hit and now is an independent gift-consultant for corporate Bombay.
Michael, LOL! thats not a lesson worth passing along. I hope you didn’t get a walloping from the lady.
http://yogustus.rediffblogs.com Yogustus
I agree with Alpha on this one Patrix. I see your point, but I think you went about putting it forward in the wrong way. Although I know you didn’t mean it literally…still…this line appears to be very insensitive “Heck, the local nimbupani-wallah might raise a ruckus but that in itself is a lesson in free competition.” Last time I checked, competition was between equals. Also, people who work in all these malls nowadays are usually from the lower middle class. I know my sister and her friends join such places in summers to earn a quick buck to pay for their jeans. I don’t think that teaches them much of any value for money. If anything, it has the opposite effect. Like Alpha said, our culture is different.
http://www.parablog.com/ Parag
You are talking about two different beasts, Patrix! There are plenty of grown-up adults (and their children) who do this job to earn a living and to bring food home for dinner. Middle class kids looking for pocket money should not take away their livelihood.
In an erstwhile socialist India, earning money was always looked down upon.
Wow! You are reading too much into something that is not there. What are you smoking, man? Can I have a puff??? ;)
http://alpha.blogdrive.com alpha
Yogu and Parag, phew! I was beginning to think I was puffing something strange.
Patty, Respect for money can be dealt with in different ways, not making kids step on other people’s toes. Consider two applicants-
1)an unkempt poor teenager who is looking for some money to pay his mom’s hospital bills (trying senti hindi movie attack),
2)rich kid with ipod dangling from ears, looking equally unkempt wanting to get some pocket money to pay for his girlfriend’s icecream cravings.
The rich kid will probably be given the job in a flashy mall owing to personality. *sad background music and poor boy’s mom dies*
I have seen many middle class kids working in Pizza corner/Baristas and it’s a kind of job any uneducated person can do. Kamala bai can do that job and earn more money than cleaning bathrooms.
I have to agree with you that Indians need to change their views about menial labour, but expecting that change to occur (physically) in India is farfetched. Gandhiji preached the same, but without causing a bigger rift between the poor and the not-so-poor.
Enuf baashan for the day.
http://ipatrix.com Patrix
I don’t think I was being insensitive. We have always worried about “stealing someone’s job” (pett pe laath) or “displacing workers”. But you have to admit, the economy is changing and free competition is the norm of the day. The poor who suffice by doing odd jobs (selling magazines/flowers at traffic lights, or wiping your windshield) will always exist or at least till someone is ready to buy their goods/servics. Middle-class kids will find means to employ their business skills to earn money in ways they find acceptable or deem fit; not merely rely on pocket money from parents. Check out the update that I added. That is a fine example. Mind you, kids don’t do these jobs on a full-time basis but in fact only to pay for some of their own demands/needs (as Yogu said, new pair of jeans).
Parag, a poor educated scholar or a rich high-school graduate businessman…who gets more respect in India? Answer that and you will know what I am smoking.
http://ipatrix.com Patrix
Alpha, if I understand your argument correctly then I shouldn’t work in a particular job just because the other person who has also applied for the same job needs it more, right? Now simply apply this logic to any other issue.
Creating a need-based job search will let “why I need this money more” field in any resume and giving poor kids admission to colleges before rich kids because the education will help them more are only some examples. What is stopping people from exaggerating their need for money?
Baashaan is always welcome out here…as long as you don’t expect me to agree with everything you say.

Nerve Endings Firing Away

Enterprising Kids

Related Posts

Subscribe